In The Flesh
by nationist
Summary: Ulquiorra somehow ended up as a weak, fleshy human and is stuck living alone in an apartment. However, one day at the outlet mall he sees Grimmjow walking along. Something about Grimmjow having a girlfriend bothers Ulquiorra, making him feel even worse.
1. Chapter 1

Nothing was the same as it used to be. There were so many things that had to be gotten used to in this world, this human world. The place was so much different than Hueco Mundo. Heck, Ulquiorra had no clue how he'd even gotten into this world, let alone lost his mask, becoming as weak and vulnerable as humans.

This world was even lonely. After it had happened, whatever it was that had cause Ulquiorra to become a human, he lost all those recognizable faces. There was no more Aizen, no more Gin, not even Yammi. Ulquiorra sighed, rolling those thoughts in his head, trying to remember every detail he could, not wanting to be cut out.

Sometimes, Ulquiorra wondered if it was even real, if he hadn't just been in some sort of coma the whole time. Even though, despite that thought, it had all seemed so real.

Ulquiorra grumbled, dropping his book bag on the floor and sitting down on a chair. He leaned forward, balancing his elbows on his knees and rubbing his temples, eyes closed and lips parted. He let a soft, anguished sigh escape from him as he thought. Deciding he would much rather be out on the town than sulking in his apartment, he got up and left.

After locking his apartment door, Ulquiorra turned and walked down the hall to the stairs, ignoring the much preferred elevator that humans used. He went down three flights of stairs and found himself in the bland lobby of his building. The building manager gave Ulquiorra and awkward nod, suspicious of the pale boy. Being unnaturally pale, even though coming to this world had given his skin a peach tinge.

Ulquiorra left the building, walking right out onto the paved sidewalk of downtown, the city bustling with midday activity. He jammed his hands in his pockets and walked along, heading off towards the outlet mall that he had found himself in when he arrived in this world.

The air was crisp and cold, slightly stinging Ulquiorra's face as he approached the wide, automatic sliding doors of the outlet mall. He stared at the ground as he walked through them, glaring as the unholy mechanisms moved on their own, not at all like anything in Hueco Mundo.

Ulquiorra walked past the bench he had found himself sitting on one Sunday night in this human world. The night where Hueco Mundo almost completely disappeared from him, only faint memories proving it may have been real.

Ulquiorra was too busy staring at the tiles of the floor to look where he was going, running into a woman walking along. He glanced up, apologizing quickly and looking around. Finally becoming aware of the atmosphere, he became aware people were whispering and glancing around, some wearing amused grins.

Ulquiorra strained to listen to a boy talking to his friends a few feet away. "Did you see that man? Yeah, I know, did you see his hair?" The last word was an amused sneer. Ulquiorra furrowed his eyebrows, deciding that however they were talking about wasn't important.

Turning a corner, a bright clash of blue caught Ulquiorra's gaze. He glanced up. A choked noise escaped his mouth, gaining an odd look from a woman close to him. Trying to see over the tops of heads, Ulquiorra followed the blue. Coming to a slight opening he saw the tall man shout at some kid that had been laughing at him. Ulquioraa studied the features, especially the bright blue hair.

The rising tension and excitement the filled Ulquiorra's gut caused him to move forward almost frantically. He bumped into a few people but continued to follow the man. After almost running he was within a few yards of the man.

Ulquiorra ran forward, grabbing the man's arm. He spun around quickly studying the face that he could've almost swore looked like Ulquiorra except for the emotion swirling in his eyes. The man grumbled, glaring at Ulquiorra. "Go ahead, say something." The man grumbled.

It was unmistakable. Ulquiorra was out of breath, staring at him, Grimmjow. The cruel remark, however, caused him to lose any words he was going to say. Grimmjow yanked his arm out of Ulquiorra's grasp, gave the shorter man a nasty glare, and turned to walk away, mumbling something about every time he went into public.

Ulquiorra stood, a terrible fear pulsing through him. It seemed, for a second, that home would've been so close, but then it left. Ulquiorra frowned, standing as people pushed past him, a few telling him to get out of the way. Ulquiorra sighed, his eyes burning, and looked back at the ground, hands in his pockets, and headed back to his building.

Once Ulquiorra got to his apartment, he slammed the door and scarmbled into the small kitchen. He grasped the phonebook sitting on the counter and flipped through the pages until he found J. He glanced up and down the pages frantically, almost passing over the one word that he swore made his heart skip.

Jaegerques. Ulquiorra stared down at the page. He walked away from the counter and into his dark bedroom. He crawled to the middle of the mattress and lay, sprawled out and face down, every part of him aching for some reason he didn't understand.

Ulquiorra lay there, in the dark of his room for awhile. He rolled over things in his mind, the expression Grimmjow had and the glare he had received. Deciding he needed it was torturing him being alone fort this long, Ulquiorra walked to the kitchen again, pulling a cup out of the cabinet and filling it with cold water. He set the cup down on the counter and sat on a stool, reaching for the phone.

Ulquiorra's hands were shaking as he glanced down at the number on the page, entering the digits into the phone. A few rings and then a few words from Grimmjow and a beep. "Uh, Grimmjow. It-it's me, Ulquiorra. Uhm, call me back, or something, you can..." Ulquiorra hung up the phone quickly, still making stuttering noises.

Ulquiorra hung up the phone quickly and walked into the small living room, but a loud ring caused him to jump. He glanced over at the phone. He walked over and answered it quickly. "H-hello..?"

_"Ulquiorra?"_

Ulquiorra froze stiff. "Yeah, who's this?" He asked.

_"Grimmjow... you just called, didn't you?"_

"Uh, yeah."

_"Still don't talk much, huh?"_Laughter came from the other end. Ulquiorra remained quiet, afraid saying something might make Grimmjow disappear.

_"Hey, Ulquiorra, I'm not tryin' to be mean or anything."_

"It's not that."

_"Then what's wrong?"_

"I-I'm just tired of..." Ulquiorra's voice trailed off.

_"Being alone." _

Ulquiorra stiffened. "Yeah."

_"Well where do you live? Maybe I could come over."_

"Uhm, apartment 131, at that complex a couple blocks from the outlet mall. I forget the name."

_"Alright. I'll be there at 6 'o clock." _

There was a soft click and Grimmjow hung up. Ulquiorra frowned and set the phone on the counter, walking back off to his dark bedroom. He stumbled over to the bed, deciding to sleep until Grimmjow came. It wasn't too long until Ulquiorra had fallen asleep, curled in a awkward position in the middle of the mattress.


	2. Chapter 2

Ulquiorra woke up to a loud knocking on his apartment door. He heaved himself up and managed to stumble to the door. He glanced at the clock on his way. 7:18. He moved his gaze back to the door and unlocked it, opening it to reveal Grimmjow. A surge of something unknown filled Ulquiorra's veins as he look the man up and down drowsily.

Grimmjow cast Ulquiorra friendly and long needed smile. Ulquiorra felt weak as he stared at his old aquaintance but motioned for him to come in. He led the tall man to the small living room that was connected with the kitchen. Ulquiorra plopped onto the couch and lay his head back. Grimmjow sat down on a chair right next to the couch, leaning forward and clapping his hands together.

"How have you been?" Grimmjow asked, casting a side glance at Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra let out a strangled noise for a reply. Grimmjow bit his lip, sighing. "I guess I didn't expect you to be doing too hot, especially after you up and vanished a while back. Never woulda thought you'd be here." Grimmjow stated. Ulquiorra looked over at Grimmjow now. "You don't think I left on purpose, do you?" He asked, almost a hint of a whine in his voice.

"Well, you just up and left." Grimmjow said, slightly uncomfortable. Ulquiorra frowned. He looked at the carpet, looking at the musty colour. "Not on purpose." He stated distantly. Grimmjow gave him a questioning look, but decided it wasn't good to argue. "Sorry I was late." Grimmjow said. Ulquiorra glanced at him.

Grimmjow shrugged. "I lost track of time." He turned towards Grimmjow slightly, his curiousity coaxed from the back of his mind. Grimmjow nodded, knowing Ulquiorra wanted to hear more. "On the phone." "With who?" Was Ulquiorra's abrupt reply. "Hannah," Grimmjow said, his face turning slightly pink. "My girlfriend." He finished explaining.

Ulquiorra stared at Grimmjow with complete shock and something else, something that made him want to punch the larger man in the face. He withheld himself. Grimmjow looked over at Ulquiorra and Ulquiorra asserted his gaze quickly, staring down at the ground. Grimmjow frowned, bringing his gaze to stare blankly at Ulquiorra's stomache.

"Really?" Ulquiorra asked, belatedly, after the long silence. Grimmjow's gaze snapped back up to Ulquiorra's. His eyes were cold and emotionless, but at the same time they seemed to scream for something. "Uh..." Was the only thing the seis espada managed to get out, not to mention it was broken. Ulquiorra continued to stare at Grimmjow. "Yes." Grimmjow stated, glaring down at the floor.

"You love her?" Ulquiorra asked. Grimmjow was caught off guard. "Ah, well, I wouldn't-" "Do you?" Ulquiorra pushed further. "Yes..." Grimmjow said, almost annoyed. Ulquiorra tensed, his eyes starting to burn at the very thought of the man loving somebody else, especially somebody from a different world. He wanted to scream, but instead a small tear managed to slip past his eye lid.

Grimmjow looked at Ulquiorra, a horror coming to his realization. The gaze he got from Ulquiorra, the force of the emotion behind it was suffocating him. "Ulquiorra... is something, wrong?" Grimmjow asked, glancing at the wet trail the tear had left. Ulquiorra quickly moved a finger up to wipe it away, and stood. "Leave." He stated. Grimmjow opened his mouth to protest but Ulquiorra spoke again, "Leave!"

Grimmjow stood and left, glancing back once at his old friend standing by the couch. Then he shut the door. A tremor traveled through Ulquiorra's body as he stood, his shoulders tensed and eyes burning as tears streamed from his eyes. He never cried, not normally, but he couldn't take the mental stress.

He thought they were friends. There never would've been a 'Hannah. The thought of Grimmjow actually being here. Ulquiorra knew he wasn't imagining. He could hear Grimmjow, his voice echoeing in his ears, he could see him, and he could feel him, the pounding on his apartment door. He was real, but he had only brought Ulquiorra pain.

Ulquiorra sat back down, cradling his head in his hands. "Why should it matter...?" Ulquiorra asked himself out loud. He shivered and decided to go and lay back down. Before doing that he went back to the phone and dialed Grimmjow's number again. He picked up. Ulquiorra didn't say anything, somewhere losing the words. He hung up quickly, praying to some force that Grimmjow didn't have caller ID.

Ulquiorra turned and walked to his bed room, undressing and then climbing into the sheets, curling in on himself in a desperate need of warmth and care. In this position he fell asleep, painful feelings shaking him and tears continuing to stream off his cheeks.


	3. Chapter 3

Ulquiorra shivered as he woke suddenly, his body in a slight sweat. He looked around his room. He glanced at his clock. 7:04. Ulquiorra sat up, rubbing his temples trying to remember his dream. It was almost like he had been in a sanctuary, but that was immediately ripped away as the visions of the waking world came flooding in. A frown painted Ulquiorra's face.

A loud ring caught him off guard and caused him to jump, and he thought about the phone laying on the counter. He got up and hurried into the kitchen to grab the phone. He glanced at the small, dull screen and a spark lit inside him at the name. G. Jaegerjaques. Ulquiorra pressed talk and brought the phone to his face. "Grimmjow?" He asked, a small amount of happiness bleeding into his voice.

"_Who is this?" _A voice snapped, a _female_ voice.

"Uhmn, who is this?" Ulquiorra asked cautiously.

"_What does it matter to you? I asked_ _who is this_!" The woman snapped again.

"Hannah...?" Ulquiorra asked, a blunt anger drifting into his gut.

_"Yes. Now tell me, who. are. you_?"

"Ulquiorra Schiffer." Ulquiorra stated annoyed and frowning.

"_Who?" _

Ulquiorra sighed, even more agitated. "Grimmjow's _fuck-buddy_." He snapped, putting emphasis on the last two words and slamming the phone on the receiver. He rubbed his temples again and closed his eyes, leaning against the counter. He stopped rubbing his head and moved to grab a box of corn-puffs and a bowl from the cupboard. He grabbed his carton of milk from the refrigerator and also a spoon, pouring himself some cereal.

Ulquiorra sat at the counter, turning on a small radio that was sitting by the wall. Soft instruments and words come from the radio, and Ulquiorra listened; "It looked like the perfect day, in photos we were smiling, but something was wrong in you..." Ulquiorra listened to the rest of the song intently, thinking about Grimmjow mostly. After the song was over Ulquiorra tuned everything else out, only coming back to reality when he noticed his cereal was gone.

Ulquiorra walked to the sink, dumping the milk down the drain. He placed the bowl and spoon in the sink to wash later, returning the milk to the refrigerator shelf and the box of cereal to the cupboard. He ambled off into the living area, flipping the television on to show cartoons. He felt weak and childish, not to mention empty.

Ulquiorra sat and watched the cartoons for awhile, and then got up and switched the television off. He walked into his bedroom and grabbed a tee-shirt and a pair of denim jeans. Fastening the jeans in place with a belt, Ulquiorra left his apartment and soon was out of the building and onto the side walk.

It was a cold day, sometime in November. Ulquiorra shivered and shoved his hands into his pockets, a soft breeze ruffling his dark hair. Green eyes traced the streets and stared at the lives of people passing by him. He saw a few couples, some children running off ahead of their mothers, and a bunch of lone people walking. But not completely alone. Not like him.

Ulquiorra walked over to the bus stop and sat down on the bench. He sniffled and waited for the bus, which came around ten minutes after he sat down. He climbed up and sat in one of the last seats by the window. He watched even more people go by. After a few minutes of that he stared down at the dirty floor of the bus. His thoughts were tired and lethargic, somewhere in the back of his mind Grimmjow still remained.

Ulquiorra waited on the bus for about forty-some minutes and then got off, somewhere in a town over. It was small and dark, yet the people that walked around with smiling faces light it up like thousands of little lights in a dark auditorium. Ulquiorra walked along the street and saw and old theatre, walking in and purchasing a ticket for some movie that had to do with superheroes.

Ulquiorra wandered into the theatre and sat, thinking in the dark. When other people laughed, he remained silent. There were many fight scenes and a lot of dramatic ones. Ulquiorra sighed, trying to focus on the movie but all it was were moving pictures of people. Ulquiorra continued to try and focus until the end, where all he did was stare at the floor with credits rolling past above him.

Shoving his hands back into his pockets, Ulquiorra left the theatre. The clock there said it was about 3:20. Ulquiorra sighed and continued to walk along the road, glancing at people and in store windows for awhile. After awhile he tired and sat down on a bench, getting some rude remarks from a group of adolescents that were walking past. He cast them a wary glare and then stared at the concrete side walk again.

As Ulquiorra sat he noticed how things seemed to change, how images got distorted and how he felt out of place. When his eyes snapped open he realized he had fallen asleep on the bench, and a sharp pain shot through him as he straightened out ans stretched, a wool blanket falling off his shoulders. He grasped the edge of the blanket and looked over to the other person sitting on the bench.

She was and elderly woman with a heart-warming smile. "I saw you snoozing on this here bench in the cold and brought a blanket. Where do you live, boy?" Ulquiorra was still dazed, but replied softly, "About thirty-five miles that way." He made a gesture in the direction he had come from. The woman looked shocked. "Now what is a fine young man like you doing so far from his home on a cold night like this, especially with no jacket." She asked, her voice stern.

Ulquiorra stared at the woman. Why was she being so kind? "You ain't no killer, are you?" She asked. Ulquiorra's eyes widened. "No, no, no. No way, ah, ma'am." He stammered, the cold getting to him, and he finally took notice that the sun wasn't up anymore. The woman smiled. "What time is it?" Ulquiorra asked. "Just nearly seven 'o' clock." The woman stated. Ulquiorra looked at the ground, amazed that he had been asleep on a bench for so long.

"Boy, if you tell me your name I may just as well take you back to my house and let you sleep on the sofa." The woman said, catching Ulquiorra's attention. "Uh, my name is Ulquiorra Schiffer." Ulquiorra said softly. "Well, isn't that a name?" The woman said, laughing. "Well, Mr. Schiffer, would you take my hand and come with me?" She asked. Ulquiorra nodded, grasping the blanket and folding it over one arm while the woman held his other wrist.

"Can I ask your name, ma'am?" Ulquiorra questioned softly, looking the woman over. She was portly and somewhat short with graying hair. Although she was old, she gave off a completely welcomeing and trusting feeling. "Well, first off don't call me 'ma'am', I ain't no uptight woman. Second, my name is Bluma." The woman stated. Ulquiorra smiled. "That's a very nice name." He complemented.

The pair came to a small, cramped house. Bluma jammed a key into the lock and turned it, opening the door to reveal a living area with bright, warm colours, lovely floral patterns and beautiful drapes. Ulquiorra was still dazed and he took in the warmth and the nice smells. Bluma ushered him to the sofa, making him site immediately. "I'll fix you up something warm and then I'll let you get to sleeping." She said.

Bluma hurried into the kitchen as Ulquiorra was about to protest. He could hear the banging of pots and pans and within minutes the smell of something delicious cooking. Ulquiorra listened to her hum and wrapped the wool blanket up tight around him. He let the warmth start to settle over him when he saw a twitch of movement. He watched the spot intently as the shaggy head of a longer-haired, orange tabby cat popped up.

The cat jumped up onto Ulquiorra's lap and paced its front legs on his thigh, contented and purring. Bluma wandered back in, smiling at her cat on the strangers lap. "He usually doesn't warm up to strangers so quickly. His name is Alter." She said, hurrying back off to the kitchen. Ulquiorra stared down at the curled form of Alter. He stroked his fur softly.

Bluma came back carrying a bowl and spoon. The bowl was filled with a creamy, steaming soup and Ulquiorra ate it quickly, but still savoured it. After Bluma took the bowl from him he sat and yawned. Bluma returned bearing a smile. "Well, I'll let you get to sleeping." And with that, she switched off the light, leaving Ulquiorra to drift off into a heavy sleep.

Ulquiorra woke to the sounds of more pots clanking. He lay on the couch, motionless but waiting. After about a half an hour Bluma came into the living area and smiled at Ulquiorra. Alter still slept on his chest. "I made something for you to eat before you get along." Bluma said, motioning for Ulquiorra to get up. Ulquiorra apologized softly to Alter he scrambled away up a flight of stairs.

Bluma pulled out a chair for Ulquiorra and let him sit, bringing him a plate of bacon, eggs and some toast, plus a glass of orange juice. Ulquiorra stared at the meal wide eyed and set out to eating it. "Now tell me, Mr. Schiffer, what a boy like you was doing out without a jacket, miles from his town?" Bluma asked. Ulquiorra thought about how to explain it. "Well, I just went for a walk. I guess I dozed off on the bench." He stated, shrugging.

"Is that odd for you?" Bluma asked. Ulquiorra nodded. "What else happened yesterday?" Bluma pressed on. "Well, I got up, answered my phone to my friends girlfriend, had breakfast and watched cartoons. Then I went for a walk." Ulquiorra said. "Did she upset you?" Bluma asked. "Well, Grimmjow is the only person I know here. I don't like reaching out to people so already knowing somebody was a sanctuary, but he is adapting better than me..."

Bluma frowned, concern on her face. "You seemed depressed, Mr. Schiffer. I suggest you go home and see your friend. Work things out." She said. Ulquiorra nodded, bringing his empty plate and glass to the woman's sink. When he turned around Bluma was gone. He stood for a few minutes until she came back with a jacket and knit-cap. She handed them to Ulquiorra.

Bluma walked Ulquiorra to the door, allowing him time to put on the coat and hat. Alter bounded up, rubbing against Ulquiorra's legs. Ulquiorra smiled, petting the cat once more before it bounded off. Bluma smiled, grasping Ulquiorra's shoulders firimly. "Now you come and visit me sometimes, okay Mr. Schiffer?" She asked, a stern look on her face. "I promise." Ulquiorra said, and with a "take care" he left her house, walking off towards the bus stop.


	4. Chapter 4

Ulquiorra pulled the borrowed jacket tighter around him, hoping he would find time to go see Bluma again sometime soon and return the jacket. He shivered as a cold, morning breeze whisked around him, ruffling his hair. He bit his lip and tried to pull the jacket tighter, but it was already snug around him. He walk up to the bus stop bench and sat down, waiting a few minutes for the bus.

Ulquiorra sat in the back of the bus the whole ride, nobody else getting on. He stepped out onto the side walk by his apartment building and hurried inside. Once up at his apartment he noticed he had a few messages on the machine. He played the first, and angry call form Grimmjow? The second and third were the same, and Ulquiorra didn't bother to listen. The fourth was one from the building manager telling him to stop by when he got the chance.

Ulquiorra shrugged and decided to go see what the manager wanted. Once he got down to the office he knocked softly. The manager had dull hair and even duller features. He glanced up at Ulquiorra and motioned for him to come in. "Ah, Mr. Schiffer." He sighed. He folded his hands together on his desk. Ulquiorra sat in the chair opposite the manager. "You said you wanted to see me?" Ulquiorra stated, half a question. The manager sighed.

"Ulquiorra, do you know a man by the name of Grimmjaw?" The manager asked. "Ah, Grimm_jow._"Ulquiorra said a hint of annoyance in his tone. "Well, whatever his name is, he wanted to _see_you. He stopped by." The manager said, putting emphasis on the last two words. Ulquiorra furrowed his brow, wondering why Grimmjow would stop by. "And..?" Ulquiorra asked, glancing back up at the manager. "_And,_he made a huge scene about something. People complained, Mr. Schiffer." The manager snarled, annoyed. Ulquiorra felt like he was melting. "Ahm, well, I could..." Ulquiorra rambled on, upset by the fact Grimmjow was upset with him.

A soft knock on the door told the pair somebody else had come. "Has Ulquiorra come home.. yet?" It was Grimmjow, he seemed to have shown up at the _perfect _moment. Ulquiorra sank in his seat, trying to make himself invisible. "Ah, Grimmjaw. I suggest you two get your talking over with. Now on with you." The manager said, motioning for Ulquiorra to leave. Ulquiorra sighed as he heaved himself out of his chair. He followed Grimmjow into the hallway, the door to the managers office swinging shut behind him. Immediately he could feel the tension in the air.

Grimmjow grabbed Ulquiorra by the shoulders and shoved him up against a wall. Ulquiorra winced as a small amount of pain shot through him. "What the hell did you do?" Grimmjow hissed. "Wh-What do you mean?" Ulquiorra asked, looking at Grimmjow's shoulders, not wanting to make eye contact. "She called you, didn't she?" Grimmjow hissed, pressing on. "Who?" Ulquiorra asked, still confused. "Hannah!" Grimmjow snarled. Ulquiorra now thought back on the conversation he had with the girl. "Yeah, she did..." He said softly. "What did you say to her?" Grimmjow growled. "Stuff." Ulquiorra said simply.

"Stuff." Grimmjow repeated. An angry, sarcastic laugh escaped him. "She broke up with me." He growled, gripping Ulquiorra's shoulders tighter. Ulquiorra glared, looking up into Grimmjow's eyes. As angry as he was, hurt still managed to show through and Grimmjow saw it. "Well I'm _sorry_ about your _loss_." Ulquiorra growled, attempting to push Grimmjow away, put to no success. "Ulquiorra." Grimmjow said warningly. Ulquiorra glared at the floor. "Leave me be." He said, shoving Grimmjow's hands off. Grimmjow turned and watched Ulquiorra. "She left me because of something _you_said, Ulquiorra." He snarled. Ulquiorra turned and glared at Grimmjow. "I do not care." He stated as he turned and left the building.

"You never did!" Grimmjow yelled as the door closed behind Ulquiorra. Grimmjow sighed, tense from anger. It was snowing when he got there and he laughed at the thought of the thin, pale boy out without a coat on. He sat down on the chair outside the managers office, to angry to notice the squealing of tires and a loud bang outside the building. After realizing he had heard it, Grimmjow went out to investigate. There was a car crashed into the side of a building, it had spun out on some ice. Grimmjow examined the road and froze. The car had been avoiding something. It had been avoiding Ulquiorra.


	5. Chapter 5

Grimmjow ran out into the street, dropping down by Ulquiorra's limp form. The pale man was still breathing but he wasn't conscious. "Somebody call an ambulance!" Grimmjow shouted. He was freaking out, his fist tensed. He wanted to pull Ulquiorra close and protect him but he didn't know if he was hurt. Grimmjow remained there, kneeling by Ulquiorra until the ambulance arrived. Paramedics come out with a stretcher and then Ulquiorra was on it. Everything seemed to be happening in sections. Grimmjow pulled one of the paramedics over. "Can I ride in the ambulance?" He asked, worry shaking his voice. The paramedic hesitated and then nodded, motioning Grimmjow into the ambulance.

Grimmjow stepped up, standing by Ulquiorra. The sirens when off and they closed the door. Grimmjow felt like he was in a haze through the whole ride, even as they went into the ER. Grimmjow sat down in a chair by the doors and leaned over, rubbing his temples. A few hours went by until a petite nurse came out and tapped Grimmjow on the shoulder. Grimmjow looked up. "You're here for Mr. Schiffer?" She asked. Grimmjow nodded. The nurse turned and headed towards the ER doors. "Follow me." She said, motioning for him. Grimmjow stood quickly and followed her through the doors, down a few halls and into a room.

Ulquiorra was laying on a bed, in a hospital gown with thin white sheets over him. He had a breathing monitor hooked up to him and an IV in his hand. Grimmjow walked over and looked down, still unable to bring himself to touch the pale man. Ulquiorra opened his eyes lazily and glanced up at Grimmjow. Grimmjow hurt seeing the pain in his friends eyes. A doctor in a white lab coat entered, pulling Grimmjow to the side. "He has a broken leg and a few bruises, but that's it. Everything else seems fine." The doctor said. Grimmjow nodded, frowning. He walked back over by Ulquiorra. He grabbed Ulquiorra's hand, wanting to comfort him.

"I'm sorry..." Grimmjow whispered. Ulquiorra closed his eyes. "It's not your fault. I wasn't looking. I was distracted." He said. Grimmjow shook his head, even though Ulquiorra wouldn't see. "I shouldn't have yelled at you." Grimmjow said. "No, Hannah left you because of me..." Ulquiorra said softly. Grimmjow sighed, rubbing his temples some more. "There's no elevator at your building." He said. Ulquiorra opened his eyes. "So, I can get up the stairs." He said, pursing his lips. Grimmjow shook his head. "No, you can stay with me. There's an elevator at my building." He said. Ulquiorra frowned.

"Your friend has a point, Mr. Schiffer." The doctor butted in. "If you live on a floor above ground, and have to use the stairs, it'll take even longer to heal, it may not even heal properly." The doctor continued. Ulquiorra continued to look displeased. "Fine." He said softly. Grimmjow looked up, surprised his friend didn't put up more of a fight. The doctor gave a false smile. "You can leave now if you want." He said. Ulquiorra closed his eyes and nodded, sighing. The doctor set about taking out the breathing tube and the IV. Grimmjow watched as his friend winced when the tube scraped the back of his throat, but there was no reaction when the IV was pulled out.

The petite nurse handed Grimmjow a pair of crutches which he passed off to Ulquiorra once he was sitting up. "I'm not wearing this home." Ulquiorra grumbled, tugging on the hospital gown. The doctor smiled and said, "He probably trusts you more to help him dress. You can come out when you're done." With that, the doctor and the nurse left the room, leaving Grimmjow with a half naked Ulquiorra. The pale man's clothes were sitting on a small table, but they had blood on them. Grimmjow frowned. "Are you going to help me?" Ulquiorra asked as he attempted to stand without the crutches. Grimmjow grabbed Ulquiorra and supported him.

"Sit." Grimmjow stated, crossing the room to grab the clothes. Ulquiorra had pulled off the gown by now. Grimmjow grabbed the bloody jeans and worked one leg over the cast and then put the other one on Ulquiorra's good leg. He helped Ulquiorra stand so he could pull up the pants the rest of the way. Ulquiorra buttoned them quickly and zipped them while Grimmjow grabbed his shirt. Ulquiorra tugged it over his head and grabbed his crutches. The two exited the room and Grimmjow said goodbye to the doctor.

When the pair approached the door, Grimmjow frowned. It was still snowing. He pulled off his jacket and placed it over Ulquiorra's shoulders. Ulquiorra glanced at Grimmjow. "It's cold out." He said. Grimmjow nodded, exiting and holding the door for Ulquiorra. Once outside, the two headed for the bus stop. Grimmjow helped Ulquiorra onto the bus once it arrived, watching the pale man's every move. They sat in the way back, watching the buildings and snow go by as the bus drove. After it stopped by Grimmjow's building, he again help Ulquiorra out. They entered the building and headed towards the elevator. Grimmjow pressed the up button and glanced at Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra was leaning on his crutches with tired eyes and a few bruises. Grimmjow frowned, but then a small bell went off and the doors of the elevator slid open. The two entered the elevator and Grimmjow hit the level 4 button. After a few seconds the doors closed and the elevator was set into motion, going up. Once it reached the level Grimmjow wanted, he exited, making sure Ulquiorra was following. They reached his apartment and Grimmjow pulled out a key, turning it in the lock quickly and holding the door for his friend.

Grimmjow welcomed the warmth of his apartment and smiled, shutting and locking the door once Ulquiorra was in. He turned to look at the pale man. "Hey, Ulquiorra you're sleeping on your feet." He said, observing how tired the other man was. Ulquiorra gave a drowsy nod. "Follow me." Grimmjow said, going down a short hallway and into his bedroom. Ulquiorra managed to follow him, leaning on the crutches once they got in. Grimmjow was busy going through his dresser, pulling out a larger shirt and a pair of boxers and pants. He handed them to Ulquiorra and pointed to the bathroom. "Change." He said, going back down the hallway.

Again in the small living room, Grimmjow grabbed a few blankets and a pillow, arranging them on the couch. When he heard Ulquiorra coming back down the hallway he turned and looked at him. The pants were sitting loosely on his hips and the shirt was a few sizes too large. "Sorry I didn't have much else. Tomorrow I can go get some of your clothes from you apartment." Grimmjow said, rubbing the back of his head. Ulquiorra managed to get over to the couch, leaning his crutches against the coffee table as he sat down. Grimmjow watched as Ulquiorra struggled to pull the blankets over himself, now laying down with lazy eyes.

Grimmjow went into his kitchen and grabbed a glass, poured some water and then set it on the coffee table on his way back to his bedroom. He sighed, laying down on his bed as he went over what had happened that day. Then he turned off the lights.


End file.
